When Grant Newsome first stepped foot on campus as a student-athlete in Ann Arbor he was a highly regarded four-star prospect looking to make an immediate impact on the offensive line. Coming out of high school, Newsome was considered one of the top 25 offensive tackles in the country and one of the top 5 football players in the state of New Jersey. It’s no wonder he began to turn heads early in his career.
As a Freshman, Grant Newsome appeared in 5 games, starting in one; An impressive achievement considering the O-line is a notoriously difficult rotation for underclassmen to crack. As a Sophomore, Newsome started at left tackle for the first 4 games of the season, but all of his momentum came to a screeching halt when the Wolverines faced Wisconsin on October 1, 2016.
Newsome suffered a brutal low hit to his right leg that would ultimately end his playing career. After six surgeries and a near amputation, he did everything he could to fight his way back onto the field. In 2017 and 2018 he spent his days rehabbing and going to school, before ultimately having to hang up his cleats in 2018. Despite his demoralizing injury and his hopes of one day playing in the NFL being destroyed, he still managed to lead by example. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors during his Junior and Senior seasons.
While earning his Master’s degree at Michigan, Grant Newsome became a player-coach for the tight end group for two seasons. He was then awarded by Jim Harbaugh with a grad assistant role in 2020, moving to the offensive line. At the time, he was the youngest full-time assistant coach in all of college football.
Now, on the heels of back-to-back Big Ten championships, Grant Newsome finds himself in a position integral to the success of the Michigan Wolverines. He has recently coached an overachieving group of tight ends, including Erick All, Luke Schoonmaker, and Coleston Loveland.
With Sheronne Moore likely moving into the solo offensive coordinator role, questions will arise about whether or not Moore will be able to spend as much time focusing on the offensive line. Normally, a team wouldn’t want to pull away a coach that led his offensive line to back-to-back Joe Moore Award winning seasons, but Michigan has the luxury of the perfect candidate waiting in the wings.
While many have forgotten that Grant Newsome was on his way to Jake Long and Taylor Lewan status as a stud offensive lineman, his potential to become a legend in Ann Arbor is still very much alive. When Newsome faced adversity, he responded like the Michigan Man that he is. He stay the course, put the needs of the team above his own, and continued to lead by example. With one of the most talented Michigan teams in history returning for the 2023 season, Newsome is the ideal candidate to lead the offensive line, and one day perhaps lead the entire team.
